Species: Hybloods

Lost between the major species of the spaceways are the forgotten, neglect, misfit hyblood. They are exceedingly rare, the Metis of space. They share their genetic ancestry with not one but two spacefaring humanoid races (that is, human, Menchanu, Ktiath, Stethavini, and Aakaal). The Aakaal, for various reasons, are almost always one of the parent sexes of a hyblood mix, which baffles most researchers. Even more baffling is the ability for the humanoid species of the galaxy to procreate sexually: while it is known that a few hybloods were the products of experiments in DNA recombination, it is also known that many have been produced in “the old fashioned way.” Xeno-biologists have often wondered at the similarities between human body structures (including the male and female sex organs) and the biologies of the other spacefaring humanoids in the galaxy, which has not yet been explained to anyone’s satisfaction. Along with Ktiath elders, crackpot humans credit a range of theories ranging form a Universal Bio-Evolutionary Rule of Sentience, to the will of God, to a shared primal ancestry in the mythical Arkworld.

Screenshot from Men in Black. But you knew that.

Because they lack the few natural instinct that socialization among one or another species requires to be successful, Hybloods often fail to fit into either parents’ cultures, and almost always find themselves cast out of their communities at a relatively young age. Those who survive (often raised by one of the parents, and only rarely by both) eventually gravitate towards others of their kind, forming small communities off-world, wandering the spaceways. While some hybloods appear to be infertile, it is not known whether all are, or whether they are reproducing in these communities or not.

Hyblood communities have been known to act in very different ways: some have been reported to be hostile to all spacefarers, engaging in attack on sight, or even attacking on-world colony settlements from orbit, unprovoked. Others have apparently acted with benevolence to those whom they encounter: there are several tales told by Jump-ship crew members which describe being saved from certain doom by stranger Hybloods.

Many of the humanoid species (with the noted exception of the Aakaal) have laws against the aid of, cooperation with, or even the existence of hybloods within regions under their control. Some apcefarers even go so far as to allege that ALL hybloods are members of a secret conspiratorial organization bent on some unknown goals, and that their confusing behaviour is actually a front to cover for their secret highly-organized effort. Nearby observers claim that if such an organzization exists, it is made up of a large number of competing factions with different ends and means in mind, some of them preaching an almost uddite opposition to the practice of interstellar space travel existing at all, others believing that Hybloods, as the culmination of all the humanoid species, are destined to evolve beyond their ancestors, overthrow the Attheri, and become the Master Race of the Galaxy. However, it is widely known that a large number of terrorist acts have been attributed to a Hyblood organization called the “Kor’ai.”

Note sure what the source is, but clicking it will take you to where the internet thinks it comes from.

Some Hyblood appear as a mixture of traits from both parent species: an Aakaal-Ktiath cross might be covered in a fine downy hair, but be tall and delicately thin like an Aakaal, for example. Some few such hybrids are lucky enough to inherit the best traits of both their parent species, in fact. But most Hyblood are crazy, chaotic genetic mixes which are absolutely revolting to most humanoids and physically painful and crippling for the poor individual itself. Each Hyblood seems to be unique, though they are widely noted to have psychologies and philosophies which differ widely from all other humanoid species. These Hyblood are often noted for their resentment of all others, and those caught for committing acts of terrorism have almost exclusively been of this type.